Shank for use in the manufacture of boots and shoes.



W. SHAW.

SHANK FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. 1915.

1,209 Patented Dec. 26,1916.

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WALTER SHAW, 0F DEDI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS, 'ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SHANK FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AE'D SHOES.

Application filed May21, 1915. Serial No. 29,546. i

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER SHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dedham, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Shanks for Use in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to boots and shoes and more particularly to shank stiffeners for use in the shanks of boots and shoes.

In the manufacture of the class of boots andshoes in which the outsole is molded in the shank to give a distinctive formation to the outsole and particularly to the tread portion thereof, it is important to provide a shank stifiener which will maintain the shape originally imparted to the outsole durin the molding operation and also afford su%lcient rigidity to support the arch of the foot. The shank stifl'eners now in use, however, are comparatively expensive to manufacture and are unsatisfactory, especially when made of such material as leatherboard, since either they render; the shoes stiff and unyielding or else they become broken and so impair the .shape of the shoe. 7

An object of the present invention is to provide a shank stiffener which will be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which will possess the essential characteristics necessary for a practical and satisfactory shank stiffener.

.With this object in view an important feature of the invention is found in a shank stiffener comprising a body portion of yielding, elastic material shaped to conform tov the longitudinal and transverse curvatures of the last and of the outsole and a stifi'ening element secured against displacement on the body portion of the shank stidener and adapted to maintain its longitudinal curvature.

A In the preferred embodiment of the invention the body portion of the shank stiffener consists of a' rubber compound which, when vulcanized, will be soft and resilient. Preferably, and as herein shown, the forward end of the shank stiffener is formed and arranged to support the entire tread Specification of Letters Patent.

- form thickness.

Patented Dec. 26:, 11916.

portion of the sole ina horizontal plane and owing to the particular characteristics of the material comprising the body portion of the shank stiffener it enables the molded shape of the sole to be maintained without destroying the flexibility of the shoe.

Other objects and important features of the invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and will then be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a shank stiffener of the present invention in position on a welted shoe and also showing the molded outsole to which the shank stiffener illustrated is shaped to conform; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shank stifiener.

In the drawings showing a shank stiffener embodying a preferred form of the invenwithin the overlasted edge 4': of the upper on the innersole 6 and extend from the heel seat to the ball of the shoe. The upper surface of the body 2 is shaped to conform to the longitudinal and the transverse curvatures of the shank of the last and is preferably provided with a shallow recess 8 extending longitudinally of the stiffener and terminating short of the forward end of the shank stiffener. The greater part of the length of the body 2 on its lower side is shaped to conform to the transverse curvature of the out sole in the shankand is of substantially uni- The forward end of the body is broadened to extend across the ball of the shoe and its thickness is uniformly increased sufiicient to compensate for the curvatureof the bottom of the last from the tread plane thereof into the shank and proera,

flat surface and the longitudinally curved portion of the stiffener, as at 12, is received in the corresponding depression in the outsole thereby positioning the outsole on the shoe and preventing it from being displaced during later operations on the shoe. In

' order to maintain the longitudinal curvature of the body 2 and enable the arch of the foot to be properly supported, a spring plate la is located in the recess 8 in the under side of the body 2. This spring plate 14 is secured against displacement on the body by tacks 16 and extends beyond the rear end of the body so as to permit the shank stiffener to be secured to the innersole. It will be apparent that with the shank stiffener of the present invention, the shape and curvatures of the outsole in the shank and at the ball portion thereof'are entirely supported and, owing ta the resiliencyof the material comprising the body portion of the shank stiffener, the molded shape of the outsole'is maintained Without destroying the flexibility of the shoe.

An important advantage of the shank stiffener above described is found in its strength and durability in use as distinguished from the relatively hard and stiff leatherboard stiffeners which become broken and misshaped through the continued flexing and strain during wear.

It will be further noted that there are no metal parts to engage the outsole and wear or cut through it as often occurs with sheet -metal shank stiflieners which are-shaped to the conformation of the outsole.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of, the United States 1. As an article of manufacture a shank stifi'ener for location between the insole and outsole of boots and shoes comprising a body portion of soft rubber shaped to conform to the longitudinal and. the transverse curvatures of the shank portion of the last and of theoutsole, and a stifiening element secured against displacement on said body portion and adapted to maintain the longitudinal curvature of the shank.

2. As an article of manufacture-a shank stiffener for location between the insole and outsole of boots and shoes comprising a body portion of yielding, elastic material shaped to conform to the longitudinal and the transverse curvatures of the shank portion of the last and of the outsole and having its forward end formed and arranged to support the tread portion of the outsole in a sub stantially horizontal plane, and a stifi'ening element secured to said body portion and adapted to maintain the longitudinally arched portion of the stiffener.

3. As an article of manufacture a shank stiffener for location between the insole and outsole of boots and shoes comprising a body portion of comparatively soft rubber shaped to conform to the longitudinal and the trans Verse curvatures of the shank portion of the last and of the outsole and having its forward end formed and arranged to provide a. substantially level tread surface for the outsole, and a stiffening element secured to said body and adapted to reinforce the longitudinally arched portion of the shank stiffener.

4. As an article of manufacture a shank stifi'ener for location between the insole and outsole of boots and shoes comprising a body portion of yielding, elastic material shaped to conform, on its upper side, to the longitudinal and transverse curvatures of the shank portion of the lastand, on its under side to. the longitudinal and transverse curv atures of the'outsole and having its forward end formed and arranged to extend on to the tread portion'of the last andsupport the tread portion of the outsole ina substantially horizontal plane relatively to the corresponding portion of the last, and a flat spring member secured to the upper side of the body portion for maintaining the longitudinal curvature of the shank.

5. As an article of manufacture a shank stiffener for-location between the insole and outsole of boots and. shoes comprising a. body portion of comparatively soft rubber shaped to conform to the longitudinal and the transverse curvatures of the shank portion of the last and of the outsole, the for ward end of said body portion being formed and arranged to provide a substantially flat surface for the support of the ball portion of the outsole in the plane of the tread portion of the outsole, and a flat spring stifi'ener secured to said body portion for maintaining thelongitudinal curvature of the shank stifiener. i

In testimony whereof ll name to this specification.

WALTER SHAW.

have signed my 

